A Walk In Other's Shoes 2019: The End of Day 2

Monday, February 11, 2019

The End of Day 2

There's been a few glitches in posting that should resolve soon. In the meantime, grab a peek at what our challengers have dealt with so far. Sockless Mr. Flynn must be happy that we are not experiencing the temperatures of last week! Ms. Mutch is struggling with laundry. To help her out, I checked out the cost of doing laundry at the laundromat. The large washing machine is $15 a cycle ($7 for the medium size) and the dryer is $2 a spin (I am told that usually 4 spin cycles are required).

The grocery purchases look healthy but where are the hygiene products? Washing hands, dishes, using toilet paper are all pretty necessary...Oddly, although everyone worries most about being hungry, the food is only part of the poverty picture.

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About A Walk In Other’s Shoes

The monthly rate for Ontario Works as of October 2019 is $733 for a single person. The maximum amount allowed for shelter is $390 and maximum for basic needs is $343.00 per month. The average private market rent in Kenora is $510.00 for a bachelor unit and $718.00 for a one bedroom. Rents do not include utility costs which are often separate for tenants. Wait periods for subsidized units are years long and highest for single adults.

Our challenge involves the basic needs allowance which is $390.00 per month. This works out to about $63.00 for a five day period. Remember that this covers all living costs beyond rent including clothing, transportation and medication and sometimes must be used to pay the discrepancy between the allowable shelter benefit and the real world cost of shelter.

We recognize that it is impossible to replicate real poverty nor would we find volunteers. The challenge is meant to facilitate public conversation on poverty issues. Before taking action in your day, concerning such things as heating the home to a comfortable temperature, using personal supplies, accessing devices such as the internet or cell phone or washing clothes after being only worn once, attempt to reflect on whether the $63 could include the cost of those items. Attempt to keep those “usage” costs to a minimum.

This is a self-regulated challenge. The purpose of the challenge is not to prove that you can live on a limited budget but rather to share the experience of struggling to move forward in life without adequate resources. The challenge is about fiscal realities, documenting the emotional cost of poverty and publicizing the resources that ease hardship.